Federal building starchitect Thom Mayne and his firm, Morphosis, are redesigning the Shanghai headquarters of the Giant Group New Pharmaceutical company. The new building, Mayne's first in China, has been appropriately dubbed "The Dragon" due to its sinuous shape. Naturally then, executive suites are situated inside of the Dragon's "head" while the "body" contains an open plan of workstations. In true Mayne fashion, the building plays host to a number of green features, including green roofs, controlled water runoff, and a thin form that provides plenty of daylight to those within. Mayne's new project is one of several China-based buildings designed by by those who have recently built in San Francisco. Cases in point:
Selected quotes from today's New York Times review of the Contemporary Jewish Museum: "But why, then, is there an impression of something unsettled and unsettling here, as if something crucial were missing? The problem is evident first in Mr. Libeskind’s architecture ... his San Francisco building is not particularly comfortable or reassuring ...Its skewed geometries are unsettling; the effect is more vertiginous than harmonious. Alienation rather than stability is suggested, despite the self-conscious symbols being grasped at." In other words: it's unorthodox. [NYT]
"Anyone looking for signs that Daniel Libeskind's work might deepen profoundly over time, or shift in some surprising direction, has mostly been doing so in vain."Oh sugar, we thought while scanning the LA Times' review of Daniel Libeskind's Contemporary Jewish Museum ('cause you know we replace curse words with nouns). Not so fast though: "... Libeskind's trademark slashing forms and off-kilter geometries, while as recognizable as ever, have been employed to rich metaphorical effect, rather than simply decorating the living room of a seventh-floor three bedroom... Whatever the explanation, the generally happy architectural results are not just surprising but encouraging. At ground zero, Libeskind's designs were crippled and eventually rendered meaningless by compromise. Here they've been enriched by it." Whew. [LAT]
Libeskind hearts his new museum (or, as John King fawns, his "opulent treat"). The starchitect graced San Francisco with his presence this past week for, like, two seconds— the man barely had time to check in on construction progress before jetting off to Paris for another soiree. "It's almost as if it were meant to be," Libeskind said of his new baby. Incidentally, project architects swear that the outdoor plaza will be finished by the museo's June 8th opening, meaning no more chain link for Mission. SF Gate]
A half pipe for skateboarders? Rather, the giant masonry bowl at 19th Avenue and Clement Street is starchitect Stanley Saitowitz's latest project, a 15,000 square foot temple, Congregation Beth Sholom. Formed entirely of poured concrete, the bowl provides the sanctuary for Beth Sholom's 700 worshipers; the adjacent glass box will house the library, board room, lounge, meeting, and yoga/ meditation rooms. Taking a cue from Libeskind's Contemporary Jewish Museum, Saitowitz has negotiated with Jewish law's prohibition against the use of iconography by employing windows and natural light as a means of decoration— for instance, a "shadow menorah" cast from six supporting roof beams splays across one wall, changing throughout the day as the sun moves. And here we thought he'd outdone himself with the pipes at Conduit.
· A bowl soars in the Richmond [SF Examiner]
In Architecture Watch, Curbed SF expands its worldview to new structures across the globe. Projects of note should be directed accordingly.
On the boards for Daniel Libeskind, architect of San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum, is the Creative Media Centre for the University of Hong Kong. Described on the architect's website as a "distinctive crystalline design" (distinctive, er, only if you've never seen another Libeskind building), the Media Centre will open in 2010 as the new home of the school's Department of Computer Engineering and Information Technology. The enormous building also includes obligatory concessions to green design, with a small roof garden and public green spaces. Although definitely not without merit, this thing essentially looks like an exploded, out-of-proportion version of a... Daniel Libeskind Building. Looking at something like this, we're reminded of how lucky we are that Libeskind seems to be showing a bit of restraint with the CJM.
· Studio Creative Media Center [daniel-libeskind.com]
· Veg.itecture: World Tour [Landscape + Urbanism]
Although most of us will still have to wait until June to see the inside, major construction is now complete on the Daniel Libeskind-designed Contemporary Jewish Museum, according to SF Biz Journal. The completion of the museum is also a significant step in the Yerba Buena area redevelopment. We've already seen new shops open up on nearby Yerba Buena Lane (we're looking at you, Beard Papa!) and the area is expected to attract more new visitors as restaurants open nearby and Jessie Plaza, the cafe-filled implied extension of Yerba Buena Gardens, becomes accessible to the public. By itself, the new CJM estimates that they'll welcome up to 175,000 visitors during its first year. Sounds great, but we're still holding out for some of those starchitect condos.
· Jewish Museum arrives [SF Biz Journal]
· Curbed Inside: Contemporary Jewish Museum
[Right: Museum Residences Left: Contemporary Jewish Museum. Can you picture it?]
How to pitch a condo development designed by Daniel Libeskind? Market it as his "magnum opus" (and wait for the laughs, guffaws, and snide remarks to roll in). Denver's "Museum Residences" overlook Libeskind's much-discussed expansion on the Ponti designed Denver Art Museum; 55 units ranging from 750 square feet to 4,500 are up for between prices that begin in the $300's and top out at over $1.2 million. The floor plans are some of the kinkiest we've seen, with angles and glass galore, while the stage jobs are rather impressive, too. Given our soon-to-open Contemporary Jewish Museum, we feel that this development begs a few questions of San Francisco. Fantasize with us, will you? Question #1: Say Libeskind did design a development near the CJM (or Piano near the Academy of Sciences! Ohhhh... ). Would the response be a positive one? Or have developments such as the Infinity and One Rincon Hill already tapped that part of the city dry? Question #2: If such a building were to be raised south of Market, where? To the comments!
· Museum Residences [website]
· Urbanism: Libeskind's Magnum Opus? [Archinect]
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Selected quotes from today's New York Times review of the Contemporary Jewish Museum: "But why, then, is there an impression of something unsettled and unsettling here, as if something crucial were missing? The problem is evident first in Mr. Libeskind’s architecture ... his San Francisco building is not particularly comfortable or reassuring ...Its skewed geometries are unsettling; the effect is more vertiginous than harmonious. Alienation rather than stability is suggested, despite the self-conscious symbols being grasped at." In other words: it's unorthodox. [NYT]
Taking a cue from 
Though his grand (and grandiose) scheme for the World Trade Center hasn't panned out as initially planned, Libeskind has nevertheless flipped his "brand" into a series of global, high-profile projects. Praising his efforts in Berlin as a risky venture ("emotionally charged architecture usually fails") Bloomberg asks: 
Although most of us will still have to wait until June to see 
